Device for articulating a tire-pressure sensor on a motor vehicle rim

• US 20030192374A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Luce, Dominique
• Granted Patent: US 6,739,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for articulating a tire-pressure sensor to a motor vehicle rim. This device consists of:

a tire-inflation valve having a base designed to come into contact with a corresponding part of a tire-pressure sensor electronic unit, said valve further having a threaded shank designed to be introduced through an orifice in a wheel rim and to protrude outward from this rim, said valve base being situated in the continuation of the shank, and

a tire-pressure electronic unit housing the valve base, said unit being pressed against the bottom of the rim by tightening a securing nut onto the threaded part of the shank of the valve.

The invention is characterized in that the valve base has a roughly spherical part collaborating with a region of corresponding shape formed on the electronic unit.

Claims

1. A device (10) for articulating a tire-pressure sensor to a motor vehicle rim (16), said device consisting of:

a tire-inflation valve (11) having a base (13) and designed to come into contact with a corresponding part (18) of a tire-pressure sensor electronic unit (12), said valve further having a threaded shank (14) designed to be introduced through an orifice (22) in a wheel rim and to protrude outward from this rim, said valve base being situated in the continuation of the shank, and

a tire-pressure electronic unit (12) housing the valve base, said unit being pressed against the bottom of the rim (16) by tightening a securing nut (15) onto the threaded part of the shank of the valve,

said articulating device being characterized in that the valve base has a roughly spherical part collaborating with a region of corresponding shape formed on the electronic unit.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the roughly spherical part comprises a first plurality of facets (23) which are designed to collaborate with a second plurality of facets (24) which are formed on the corresponding part of the unit.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that an angle (α

) of tilting of the unit with respect to the valve is determined by the pair of facets in contact when the securing nut (15) is tightened onto the shank (14) of the valve.

4. The device as claimed in either one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that each of the facets (23) of the first plurality and of the second plurality (24) has a different inclination.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the roughly spherical part of the valve base has a plurality of grooves (26) designed to collaborate with studs (27) that are formed on the corresponding part of the unit, so as to provide slip-free clamping of the valve base in the corresponding part of the unit, at a predetermined angle of inclination.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the roughly spherical part of the valve base has studs (27) designed to collaborate with a plurality of grooves (26) that is formed on the corresponding part of the unit, so as to provide slip-free clamping of the valve base in the corresponding part of the unit, at a predetermined angle of inclination.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 of the preceding claims, characterized in that a reinforcing piece (30) of a shape corresponding to the external profile of the unit, is inserted between the unit (12) and the rim (16) so as to avoid any hammering between the unit and the region in which it bears against the rim.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the valve base and the reinforcing piece are made of metal and the unit is made of plastic.